How dog ban for Wetherspoons impacts Hucknall customers
A lot of people may wonder why they never see any dogs in their local Wetherspoons. Now, the chain has addressed its policy on dogs after a woman with mental health issues and her support dog were asked to leave her local pub.
There are many Wetherspoons in the area or just a short drive away.
Hucknall is home to The Pilgrim Oak on High Street.
However, unlike most other pubs these days, the historic country-wide chain has a strict policy regarding dogs.
The chain reiterated its policy after an incident over the weekend in which a woman and her support dog were kicked out.
Philippa Precious left the Poulton Elk in Lancashire feeling “humiliated” after she was booted out of the Wetherspoons pub for bringing her dog with her on Sunday.
Spokesman for Wetherspoons, Eddie Gershom, said exceptions are made for trained guide dogs and other examples of assistance dogs, but said “on this occasion, it was not clear that the customer’s dog was an assistance dog.”
So, why did Wetherspoons ban dogs?
Wetherspoons’ dog ban was introduced shortly after the company was founded in 1979, but the chain had been lenient with dog owners for many years.
However, in September 2018 Wetherspoons announced it would no longer allow dogs in any of its UK branches, with the exception of assistance dogs.
At the time, a Wetherspoons spokesman said the group's hard-working staff had grown tired of picking up poop and the ban would be strictly enforced going forward.
The Wetherspoons website further explains its reasons for the ban, saying “even well behaved dogs can be unpredictable”.
It states: “For many years, we have not permitted dogs or other animals in our pubs, hotels or in external areas which belong to, or are managed by, us. This includes beer gardens, car parks and outside pavement areas.
“We realise that this may seem quite strict, but our pubs are busy, with families and children present, and we serve a lot of food.
“Even well-trained dogs can sometimes behave unpredictably.”
Has the ban put you off visiting, or do you agree that dogs have no place in a pub and restaurant?